Are Old Fashioned Baptist Churches shrinking?

I agree that they are thinning down. I predict that they will continue to dwindle, not because what they are preaching and teaching is incorrect, but that it isn't relevant to a society that changes gears every few moments. Churches that evaluate things like VBS, Sunday School, and other institutions of the church are not change for change's sake, but are evaluating whether or not those things still reach people the way they used to. "Fixing" something to work is not always a bad thing. Not always.

 

I agree completely. The church where I get to serve is a conservative Baptist church in doctrine and belief...but exceedingly progressive in methodology and practice. "Old Fashioned" Baptist churches to me says something about their methodology (three points and a poem, piano and organ only, hymnal, tons of faultering programming, etc.) where they are stuck in the past and aren't vibrant, growing fellowships. They have been come private country clubhouses instead of open public communities.

That right there explains why they refuse to grow. Inspite of what God would have them do, they selfishly hold onto ridiculous practices that negate the movement of the Spirit in their midst.

Change, methodological, helps create momentum and adapting to current needs shows that you care where people are at in their lives. Most of these churches also have compotent systems in place to welcome, assimilate, train, and plug-in new members into their ministris. It's huge.

yep. The dying out is probably the best term to use particularly because there isn't a younger, recently regenerate membership available.

Old Fashioned died out ten years ago...just takes a while to catch up with reality.

Honestly I don't care what you do, old or new or middle or whatever, just do it with excellence. Most old fashioned churches that I've known (including the one I grew up in) don't accomplish excellence in their churches and thus will not capture people.

 

Well, I don't know about that.

But, the church I used to go to in Columbia, Maryland has been around for nearly three hundred years, preaching the same Doctrine of Grace, singing the same songs, holding services on basically the same day, observing the same "order" of worship (singing, praying, preaching, singing), have not introduced musical instruments, or Sunday School, and seems to me like they'll be around for another hundred years.

Now, membership wise, true, the church has been like an accordion.

But I don't think Old Fashioned Baptist churches per se, are on the way out.

A particular local old fashioned Baptist church may die out, but the churches as a whole will still be around.

 

The only thing that I can find in scripture that reaches people is the Word of God and the Holy Ghost. Add anything else to that and the message gets waterd down.

 

I would wholeheartedly agree that the above mentioned are the two absolutely essential ingredients.

I might have some trouble on what constitutes "adding anything else." We used a very powerful video from Facing the Giants a few months ago to illustrate wholehearted commitment. IMO that doesn't "water down" the Gospel; rather, it becomes an object lesson to illustrate it.

God seems to be a fan of object lessons. Look how he used them with the prophets. As long as we don't worship the method, and the method does not detract from God's glory or message, have at it, IMO.

 

I have become one of those "old fashioned Baptists". Could you describe for me specifically which practice I adhere to that is "ridiculous"?

• Is the old AV ridiculous?
• Is having Sunday school ridiculous?
• Are Wednesday night services ridiculous?
• Is the timing of revival meetings ridiculous?

What changes would you require so that we were not engaged in ridiculous practices?

Further, I believe that my brethren and I hold to these practices not out of selfishness but because we believe this is what God would have us do and that we are more God-centered than selfish. What makes you think you understand our motivation as being selfish whereas your motivation to change abounds in selflessness?

 

The Dictionary defines progressive as:

1.favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, esp. in political matters: a progressive mayor. 2.making progress toward better conditions; employing or advocating more enlightened or liberal ideas, new or experimental methods, etc.: a progressive community.


And Conservative as:


1.disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.
2.cautiously moderate or purposefully low: a conservative estimate.
3.traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness: conservative suit.



Now, how on earth could there be a Conservative Progressive church ? I don't care which way you cut it, but one has to weigh more than the other, or eventually one gives way to the other.

Either you're Old Fashioned, or you're Progressive.

Least ways that's how I look at it.

If there is a decline in church membership today it is because the days are evil, and the love of many has waxed cold.

If there is a tremendous growth in church membership among the liberals and the "progressives" could it be because they ceased to rely on the Holy Spirit and instead rely more on methodology and systems, charisma and modernism ?

I'm not saying that's it, but could it be ?

 

How many prophets or disciples went to the theater to understand those object lessons?

 

I am a pastor who recently planted a new "Old Fashioned" Baptist Church. While there is nothing sacred about keeping the same schedule and the same hymnal, I see no need to throw out tradition simply for the sake of being "progressive." Tradition is not a bad thing especially if the tradition is based on Scriptural principle.

My burden is for the preaching of God's Word to be the focus of our services. Though we live in a much different time than the believers of the 1800's, the truth of Scripture remains the same. His truth is what will change lives.

Not only am I a Old Fashioned Baptist pastor(age 27), but I am also a web developer. I mention this to explain that I see nothing wrong with changing our methods to fit the culture we live in, but our standard can never change. I will utilize whatever I can to be most effective in my service for Christ, but I must not compromise truth for the sake of relevancy.

For example: There is nothing wrong with using newly composed music in our churches, but it must meet certain Biblical standards of 'good music.' I cannot take the world's music, change a few lyrics and hope to please Christ.

Anyways, back to the topic; In my personal experince of planting an 'Old Fashioned' church three and a half years ago, there is a great need for and interest in our church. People are looking for a church where the people humbly live separated holy lives and are not ashamed to be recognized as Christians. They want to sing the old hymns, and hear the directly applied preaching of the Word of God(There can be nothing more relevant).

While we have had several families 'transfer' from other Baptist Churches, there have been just as many newly saved young(mid 20's) families added to the church and discipled. They are excited about our church, and I am excited to be a small part of what the Lord is doing.

 

The same number that used electric lighting and indoor plumbing.

 

I don't believe God inspired the KJV more than any other version. To suggest otherwise negates the nature of the text. I do believe God wholly inspired and inspired men and women to write the original texts in Hebrew, Aramiac, and Greek and in those original languages we find our extant texts for translation. The KJV is a great text for its day, but no one uses that language anymore. I can't remember the last time I heard someone using the KJV in their services or messages. More current versions are better equipped to communicate God's words to the masses in our contemporary verbiage imho.

No, as long as it is full of open classes that are willing to grow and divide into new groups and aren't small, clustered groups representing the holy huddle.

We don't do them b/c we aren't in an area that allows us to have easy flow of traffic in and out. If your program methodology is that you have Wednesday night service have them. Just don't say that everyone must have Wednesday night services.

The only thing about these is that all of the "revival" meetings that I've been to, led, attended, etc. aren't true revivals but just a group of spiritual emphasis meetings where the fellowship is encouraged greatly. Good stuff, I think we need to figure out where they fit into our strategy for growth and impact and use them (and term them) appropriately.

 

Do you get object lessons from those devices as well?

 

I can think of two or three GREAT object lessons from indoor plumbing.

But they'd probably get edited.

Now...since you've cast a judgemental eye...tell me from scripture: What was wrong with my using a clip from Facing the Giants to illustrate a scriptural point?